Located only about 50 miles from the easy to access Reno Airport, Aloha Skin Spa is nestled in the pine trees only a half mile from the Northern tip of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. A beautiful setting in inself, let alone for a world-class boutique spa with a very tropical Hawaiian atmosphere. As you enter the spa, the smell of fresh Orchids and burning Passionfruit Candles make you feel as if you just stepped off your plane on the Big Island. This spa has just the perfect amount of aromas that gently combine for that tropical feel. You will hear the zen-like sounds of running water come from a beautiful bamboo waterfall that seems to engulf your senses.
Greetings of Aloha are heard from the friendly and polite staff. For the first-time visitor or the very happy repeat client, you will be pleasantly surprised at the feeling of the Hawaiian Spirit of Aloha that surrounds you as you are welcomed to the spa. Fresh orchids are flown in each week to the spa to create leis for the clients as they arrive for their treatment. As Spa Manager & Operations Director, Lin Pruett, explains, "Aloha Skin Spa is about being a step ahead and a step above the rest." Quite frankly, any spa can put up some tropical pictures and have a Hawaiian themed-treatment but most locations can not duplicate that Hawaiian energy that permeates the environment at Aloha Skin Spa. Environmental friendly bamboo flooring warms the rooms and creative tropical artwork create a feeling and not just a theme-spa.
In the book, The Aloha Spirit by Serge Kahili King, the Hawaiian word aloha stands for much more than hello or goodbye or love. Its deeper meaning is the joyful (oha) sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo). Nothing is more true at Aloha Skin Spa then the ever present attention to the life energy of the staff, treatments, and surroundings.
Aloha Skin Spa was opened by husband and wife team, Bruce & Nicoa Wood, in late 2006. Both from Hawaii, they wanted to bring that Hawaiian spirit back to the mainland along with the idea of bringing a life energy to their spa.
Spa Director Pruett explains that a feng shui expert was brought in to consult on the construction elements, treatment room elements and even the placement of staff in rooms that match their own energies. "We wanted the staffs' individual energies to match the energies in the rooms and be able to then transfer that energy to the client," explains Pruett. Staff members had their personal number, element and animal determined to match up with the rooms in which they work to not only incorporate the energies but also to balance the spa as a whole.
All of the effort in creating this calming yet energized environment is noted by the client. Each room has elements of feng shui and energy maximized for their comfort. The extra attention to details is what makes Aloha Skin Spa stand apart from any other.
The spa's clientele is made up of both local residents and visiting clients that travel to the Tahoe region 3 or 4 times per year. With their extraordinarily trained staffed and superb treatments, most of the out of town clients must center their Tahoe visit around their spa treatments, because yes they are that good. Also conscious of the community, Aloha Skin Spa sponsors mixers, wine tastings and provides free services to many organizations in the area. Again, a true sign that a spa understands and cares about their clients and their community.
Our experience at Aloha Skin Spa was nothing short of awe inspiring. Having been to Hawaii, we thought there was no way to recreate the feel and aromas until we walked into this spa. Not overwelming but just the perfect blend of fruits, and flowers to make you want to continue to slowly inhale and exhale. Receiving our fresh orchid leis and hugs from the Spa Director, we were asked to relax and change into thick spa robes and flip flops to fill out the new client questionaires. I was impressed that the questionaire was a full and complete background questionaire asking questions about physical conditions, previous experiences and of course a detailed list of facial and skin questions.
Both of us were experiencing a Body Scrub, Wrap, Massage & Facial but each treatment was customized for our particular skin and as for the massage we chose a Deep Tissue and Swedish to expierience both.
My first treatment was a full body scrub and wrap. I was introduced to my Massage Therapist, Wendy as she politely lead me to the one of 6 treatment rooms. Once inside she described not only the treatments but general information about the ingredients and products being used and instructions on how to proceed. Sadly many spa employees forget to inform the client of what I call the basics:
Explain what to expect during a treatment.
-I don't think any client would feel that they are given too much information. Especially if a client is new to the spa, it's imperitive that the staff member explains the treatment experience so that the client isn't left wondering on their own what is happening or how they are suppose to proceed. Aloha Skin Spa takes that extra step to make sure that the client is informed, feels comfortable and is at ease with the treatment itself, the level of clothing and what to expect throughout.
Explain the products and ingredients used and why
-Wendy went out of her way to answer my questions about the sugar used for my body scrub and how the wrap was going to make my skin look amazing. As a spa professional, don't underestimate the power of knowledge. Be able to answer questions about the products and especially why certain ingredients are used for different skin types. I've found that even if a client is a little shy about asking many questions during a treatment, offer a little product information at the same time you are describing the treatment steps. A soothing informative voice during a treatment, as Wendy's was, is so pleasant and assuring that it made me feel even more relaxed because as a client, I knew that my practioner was educated, trained and excited about the treatment. It really showed.
I enjoyed a full body dry brushing that was stimulating and relaxing and that was followed by a sugar body scrub. The scrub, which was a combination of fine sugar and warmed coconut and kukui nut oils was mixed right before it was applied and smelled of natural coconut. Not overly perfumed but a natural coconut oil which was so sensuous. I remember thinking about how relaxed I was during this treatment. The room definately had an energy and I could hear the sound of the bamboo fountain outside the door but with the combination of the Hawaiian music and the faint aroma of coconuts, I was becoming energized but in a relaxed way. Following the body scrub, a vitamin enriched mask was applied. Meant to rehydrate the skin, this nutrient-rich recovery mask was a perfect follow-up to the scrub. With the mask applied to the entire body, including the back and stomach, foil and microfiber blanket envelope the client to soak deeply into the skin. It was at this time that Wendy used warmed oil to massage my scalp and I have to say that it was too good, of course in a perfect way.
With instructions to take my time getting up from the table, I was able to use a private shower located in the treatment room to wash off the mask and scalp oils and to prepare for the massage to follow. I was greeted near the bamboo fountain by Wendy again to lead me to the massage room. A simple yet modern room with different Hawaiian music playing softly. I asked for the Deep Tissue Massage but have to say that any time the word "deep tissue" is used in a description it makes me a little nervous.
Wendy, who has 22 years of experience and is completing her 120 hours of training for Lomi Lomi Massage Certification asked me about my neck injury that I wrote down on my evaluation form. After talking about the massage technique she was going to use, I felt confident in her abilities and was looking forward to the massage. Again, Wendy softly explained the various movements before and during the massage, putting me at ease and of course creating an even more relaxed environment. Her ability to understand muscles and tissue was amazing.
She used a technique that I didn't realize could be used with massage. Isometric Isolation of the muscles. Basically, using pressure points in tight muscles the client tightens the muscle while the practitioner presses or releases the muscle. I have heard about this facinating technique but in the framework of physical therapy or electronic stimulation or manipulation but didn't realize it could be used during massage. I can say that my neck and shoulders were more relaxed then I have ever been and were relaxed for weeks after this amazing massage.
The only fault we can find of Aloha Skin Spa is their generosity and sincere care taken with clients. They simply spoil their clients to the point that no other spa can compare. If you are taking in several spa treatments, the staff at Aloha provide a mid day snack that is designed for the client. I hesitate to say "snack" as it's more like a small buffet of your favorite food. At the time of booking, the client is asked about food preferences and any diet restrictions and a mid day meal is provided. And what better way to relax in between treatments then a rest in their private alcove with the perfect Passionfruit, Orange and Guava Mimosa and take your time refueling before your next treatment.
Aloha Skin Spa is just the perfect tropical retreat, both in environmental setting and size. Each of the 6 treatment rooms are specifically designed for an individual treatment. The spa offers massages, body treatments, spray tanning, custom facials and a sonic sauna for steam detoxing or as a muscle heat treatment in between treatments.
The final treatment of the day was a customized Epicurean Facial with my Estetician, Ashley Hotz who was just perfectly friendly and knowledgeable. At Aloha Skin Spa, the client really does feel like royalty and the staff all go out of their way to inform the client and give them the absolute best treatment available. My facial lasted well over 90 minutes and I thank Ashley for not scolding me for my lack of facial regimine. Aloha certainly doesn't offer cookie-cutter, one-treatment-fits-all menu. This was evident during the facial as Ashley used my detailed pre-treatment questionaire and skin evaluation to determine each varing step in my facial treatment. I am often astounded by spas that preset their facial treaments products as if the entire population only has two skin types. Bravo Aloha for putting the technology and knowledge back into real facial treaments.
Aloha Skin Spa is a great destination spa offering a true feeling of Hawaiian spirit through perfect body and skin treatments.
Aloha Skin Spa Staff:
L to R-Luba (Massage Technician), Dana (Estetician), Lin (Management), Ashley (Estetician), Wendy (Massage Technician)
Greetings of Aloha are heard from the friendly and polite staff. For the first-time visitor or the very happy repeat client, you will be pleasantly surprised at the feeling of the Hawaiian Spirit of Aloha that surrounds you as you are welcomed to the spa. Fresh orchids are flown in each week to the spa to create leis for the clients as they arrive for their treatment. As Spa Manager & Operations Director, Lin Pruett, explains, "Aloha Skin Spa is about being a step ahead and a step above the rest." Quite frankly, any spa can put up some tropical pictures and have a Hawaiian themed-treatment but most locations can not duplicate that Hawaiian energy that permeates the environment at Aloha Skin Spa. Environmental friendly bamboo flooring warms the rooms and creative tropical artwork create a feeling and not just a theme-spa. 
The spa's clientele is made up of both local residents and visiting clients that travel to the Tahoe region 3 or 4 times per year. With their extraordinarily trained staffed and superb treatments, most of the out of town clients must center their Tahoe visit around their spa treatments, because yes they are that good. Also conscious of the community, Aloha Skin Spa sponsors mixers, wine tastings and provides free services to many organizations in the area. Again, a true sign that a spa understands and cares about their clients and their community. 
Receiving our fresh orchid leis and hugs from the Spa Director, we were asked to relax and change into thick spa robes and flip flops to fill out the new client questionaires. I was impressed that the questionaire was a full and complete background questionaire asking questions about physical conditions, previous experiences and of course a detailed list of facial and skin questions. 
The only fault we can find of Aloha Skin Spa is their generosity and sincere care taken with clients. They simply spoil their clients to the point that no other spa can compare. If you are taking in several spa treatments, the staff at Aloha provide a mid day snack that is designed for the client. I hesitate to say "snack" as it's more like a small buffet of your favorite food. At the time of booking, the client is asked about food preferences and any diet restrictions and a mid day meal is provided. And what better way to relax in between treatments then a rest in their private alcove with the perfect Passionfruit, Orange and Guava Mimosa and take your time refueling before your next treatment.
The final treatment of the day was a customized Epicurean Facial with my Estetician, Ashley Hotz who was just perfectly friendly and knowledgeable. At Aloha Skin Spa, the client really does feel like royalty and the staff all go out of their way to inform the client and give them the absolute best treatment available. My facial lasted well over 90 minutes and I thank Ashley for not scolding me for my lack of facial regimine. Aloha certainly doesn't offer cookie-cutter, one-treatment-fits-all menu. This was evident during the facial as Ashley used my detailed pre-treatment questionaire and skin evaluation to determine each varing step in my facial treatment. I am often astounded by spas that preset their facial treaments products as if the entire population only has two skin types. Bravo Aloha for putting the technology and knowledge back into real facial treaments.
